AEJMC Trailblazers of Diversity Interview with Dorothy Bland

  • Introduction Bland says she was always a curious kid. She had a journalism teacher in high school that recognized her writing skills.
  • She is a first generation student. When deciding on college, her mother told her she needed to have a job after getting her degree.
  • She decided on Arkansas State University. She was a reporter and editor at her school's paper.
  • The stories she covered in college were different from the stories she covered in Rockford, Illinois.
  • She was introduced to Gannett in Rockford.
  • Through the Dow Jones News Fund, she was granted internships.
  • She says a lesson she learned is to be kind to administrative assistants because they have access.
  • After an internship with The Commercial Appeal, she went back home to work at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
  • After she graduated from college, she had completed three internships that she says prepared her for Rockford.
  • She moved from Arkansas to Rockford in a snowstorm, and went right to work. She enjoyed her time at Rockford and was able to cover a variety of topics.
  • She became an assistant city editor at Rockford. She got amazing opportunities by working hard on nights and weekends.
  • She remembers being called a "culturally deprived colored girl from the south" because she wore sandals most of the year.
  • She also remembers being called the wrong name by an editor; the name belonged to another African American reporter.
  • After Rockford, she went to USA Today.
  • She had previously done freelance work for USA Today.
  • USA Today was still starting up and they selected Bland as a "loaner" to join the team in D.C. She was there for seven years.
  • While working at USA Today, she got engaged with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). She also got her MBA.
  • Her master's is from George Washington University with a concentration in marketing.
  • She tells how she got into publishing. After getting her master's degree, she ultimately became the managing editor of USA Today's library.
  • She was able to make USA Today's library a profit center.
  • She went to a meeting in Chicago and was asked to be the assistant to the regional president. She says it was an incredible experience.
  • "It's incredibly important that students have real world experiences."
  • Bland says as a publisher you have the opportunity to meet all kinds of people. She loved engagement with readers in the community.
  • She has very fond memories of working in Fort Collins.
  • At Fort Collins, she says they had one of the most diverse executive committees.
  • She describes the time she was made publisher. It was a big deal because she was a female.
  • She talks about a few of her colleagues and where they are now.
  • She talks about two mentors she had.
  • The tagline for Gannett was "a world of different voices." She said that you saw people of color and women in leadership roles. "Those were things to aspire to."
  • She talks about the time she met Bob and Nancy Maynard.
  • She went back to Little Rock for an anniversary. She met Daisy Bates. "She was the most gracious woman."
  • She talks about her transition to academia. "I really enjoyed engaging with young people and college students."
  • She met Susanne Shaw at her first AEJMC conference in San Francisco.
  • She was offered a journalism director position at Florida A&M University. She saw so much potential in the program. "It was an opportunity to do mission work as well."
  • Service learning is essential. She says resources are different at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Many of the students were first generation college students.
  • "Diversity is incredibly important to the future of higher education." She says diversity needs to be infused in curriculum, faculty, staff, and mindset. Students need exposure.
  • One of the things she took from Gannett was that, when you have a variety of voices in the room, you make better decisions.
  • At the University of North Texas, the board of advisors is very diverse. They started a mentor program where they pair alums with students.
  • "There are opportunities students need to have." A the Mayborn School of Journalism, it's a requirement that students have an internship.
  • "It's incredibly important that we embrace all people." She says conversations are richer because of this.
  • She's still active in NABJ and other organizations. "The more you know about your community, the better you can serve your community." She's excited for the future of journalism.
  • She's doing research on diversity in media. She says there isn't the same commitment to diversity as before. "If you want to secure the future, diversity is a good investment."
  • Bland says sometimes speaking truth to power isn't always comfortable. Challenging authority is important.
  • America isn't a melting pot, but a salad. We need to embrace differences.
  • What she liked about being a journalist was that she was able to travel. She says she's richer in terms of experiences.
  • She keeps in mind that people fought and died for the opportunities we have today. It's important that our youth understands there's still more work to do.
  • She talks about the potential of social media and the digital space.
  • Everyone has a story, and she encourages young reporters to tell them on a variety of platforms.
  • Barbara Hines concludes interview.